Monday, April 01, 2013

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

From Goodreads: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

My Rating: 3.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine in novels so I was a little hesitant to read a book titled The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Although Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight did actually end up being a cute, fluffy read; I felt like its romantic aspect was over emphasized by both the cover and title since a relationship can only develop so far in seven hours while on a plane. The more meaningful relationship that’s explored - through flashbacks and Hadley’s conversation with Oliver - is that between Hadley and her dad.

Aside from one scene at the wedding where Hadley acted childishly, I found Hadley to be a pretty relatable protagonist. It was easy to understand why she was so angry and upset with her dad and why she wanted to keep her distance from him. I also liked how she eventually conversed with her dad, knowing that she might regret it one day if she kept pushing him away.

I didn’t like Oliver quite as much. He got points for being British and being well read, but he didn’t reveal anything deep about himself to Hadley – and therefore the reader – while the two were on the plane. In fact, he kind of evaded her serious questions and/or changed the subject. As a result, I didn’t feel like I got to know him until the end.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was released by Poppy in January 2012. 

Comments About the Cover: It’s cute!

Random Thought: Why didn’t Oliver and Hadley exchange contact details right away if they wanted to keep in touch? Considering most people have cell phones, it shouldn’t be that hard to give your phone number to someone else!

16 comments:

  1. This was always my main concern about this one: could the author really develop a relationship in such a short time? It's both really interesting and kind of disappointing to me that you thought the best relationship explored in the book was that between Hadley and her father. Well, I'm happy at least that this one is what is promised by its cover: a cute read. Even if there's not much more to it than that. Nicely reviewed, Z!!

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  2. I felt the same way, Z. I thought it read more like a screenplay than a book with its third person narrative. I also didn't really felt like I knew either of the characters that well.

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  3. I agree about Oliver. I didn't feel like I really knew him well until the end either, but I liked him overall. This was a pretty quick and cute read for me too, though I wasn't in love with it. Great review, Z!

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  4. Hahaha I think boys always get points for being British don't they? At least they do for me, I haven't yet found a Brit in YA lit that I haven't been a fan of, but like you, I would have loved a bit more time to get to really know Oliver. Still, this was a fun, light read and I know I'm going to finish with a smile on my face which I like:)

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  5. I didn't have any of those problems with the book, but I think that could be because I approached it as a very light novel and didn't expect too much. But all your points make sense to me.

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  6. I think the family issues that were handled petulantly at best and unrealistically at worst ruined this a bit for me. I don't think Hadley's relationship with her father could have been fixed so quickly. The love story was very cute, though.

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  7. When I discovered that this book was based around a 24 hour period and that they fell in love it kind of turned me off and I never read it. And I can't say I ever will. Great review though hun :)

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  8. I've been hesitant about reading this, because like you I'm not a fan of insta-love. And I'm finding that contemporary books are either a hit or miss for me. Despite the few issues you had I'm glad you enjoyed it overall. It's nice to read something cute and fluffy every now and then. :)

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  9. I really thought you would have liked this more. Fluffy books make the best summer reads so I'm saving it until the summer to start.

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  10. I agree - this one is pure fluff and totally cute. While it was a great pass-time and I appreciated some of the depth, I doubt I'll pick up Smith's new novel. Like you, Oliver only won me over because he was British! ;) Great review!(:

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  11. I definitely enjoyed this one, but I also agree that the cover and synopsis are super misleading. I also thought reviews totally over-sold the romance, because like you said, it wasn't actually a big aspect really at all.

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  12. This was a really cute read:) It's a story that hasn't that many pages to work with.I guess its focus isn't set on offering a meaningful insight into the characters' lives as much as exploring the plane scenario. Have you read This Is What Happy Looks Like?

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  13. A lot of reviewers have said that about Oliver. I didn't notice it while I was reading but I can see it looking back on it. I liked him mostly because he seemed like a good guy even though he was cagey.

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  14. I totally agree with everything you said about this book. I didn't feel a connection with Oliver as well. He needed some more depth to his character for me to really LIKE him. :)

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  15. Ps: Wither did started slow! But, I didn't really mind it at all. I usually don't like slow reads, but the characters, the plot, everything was super interesting.. :) I hope you'll give it a chance. :)

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  16. "He got points for being British." Hah! This always makes me think of Love Actually, and I wonder whether American boys get the same special treatment overseas. :)

    Cute and fluffy is about all expected from this, so I really need to pick this up soon. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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